Everything specific to New Jersey in one place: what a death certificate costs and how to get one, who has the legal right to arrange the funeral, and where to find official help. Each section links to a full guide with its sources.
New Jersey at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $25 first copy, $2 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 45:27-22 |
Funeral cost calculator for New Jersey
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using New Jersey funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in New Jersey
These are medians from 10 New Jersey funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (10 cities, dated 2020-11 to 2026-07), collected in September 2026. Each figure counts only the price lists that show that item. Direct cremation and immediate burial are the lowest option each home lists; some include a basic container or the crematory fee and some do not. Your funeral home’s own price list is the only figure that counts for your bill.
| Item | Median | Price lists |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation (lowest listed option) | $2,112.50 | 10 |
| Immediate burial (lowest listed option) | $3,717.50 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $2,420 | 10 |
| Embalming | $937.50 | 10 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $475 | 10 |
| Viewing (facilities and staff) | $1,275 | 10 |
| Funeral ceremony (facilities and staff) | $600 | 10 |
| Hearse | $525 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Bongarzone Funeral Home, Tinton Falls, 2026-07-20
- Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, Freehold Township, 2025-06-12
- Vander Plaat Memorial Home, Paramus, 2023-04-15
- Rowe Funeral Home, Morristown, 2025-02-16
- Polhemus Cremation Services, West Creek, 2025-01-01
- Tilghman Funeral Home, New Egypt, 2026-01-01
- Mount Laurel Home for Funerals, Mount Laurel, 2026-05-11
- Lechner Funeral Home, Medford, 2022-04-01
- Fanwood Memorial Funeral Home, Fanwood, 2020-11-01
- Jersey Cremation and Funeral Service, Union, 2024-09-01
Under the FTC Funeral Rule every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone, so calling two or three is the fastest way to a real number. How much a funeral costs, line by line.
Death certificates in New Jersey
Certified copies come from New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. State non-genealogical page: online 'Orders are processed within 4-6 weeks'; walk-in at the state office 'typically processed within 2 hours'; mail through vendor VitalChek 'typically processed within 2-4 weeks'. The Online Requests page separately says 'standard processing time is 6-8 weeks.'. Full guide: getting a death certificate in New Jersey.
Who decides the funeral in New Jersey
New Jersey law sets the order. The first people in line are: Person appointed in a will or the notarized, two-witness board form (or DD Form 93 for active-duty deaths); Surviving spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner; Adult children (majority); Parents (both must authorize if both living and notified). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in New Jersey
Federal help is the same in every state: Social Security’s one-time $255 payment to an eligible spouse or child, VA burial benefits for eligible veterans, and FEMA help only after a declared disaster. What each pays and how to apply.
Some New Jersey counties and cities also help low-income families with burial or cremation costs. Ask the social services office in the county where the person died.
More official links for every state: funeral resources · all states.